Can Your Technology Company Use an Intern?

A small technology company can provide the best learning environment for interns, so don’t worry that you don’t have all the bells and whistles that larger companies can offer, writes John Tozzi in BloombergBusinessweek. His article, “How to Find an Intern,” on the site’s “The New Entrepreneur” section, encourages small firms to compete for interns as a great source of low-cost or no-cost labor.

The biggest challenge can be finding qualified interns. A small technology company doesn’t have the resources to attend campus hiring events, but new batches of online intern-matching directories have sprung up on the Internet. Among the resources available, consider these:

• Externships.com offers a directory that aims to connect students with internship opportunities at start-up companies. This site began with a UK focus, but you can list your opening in any country.

• Urbanintern.com is a New York-based site that links interns with fast-growing companies. Jobs can be sorted by industry, location, and skill. Employers pay a fee to post a job; browsing for postings is free.

Remember—students and recent grads are hungry for experience. In a large company, they may just be stuck with low-level jobs and little mentoring. Highlight the hands-on experience they will get at your technology company, and you just might land a great candidate.

If you have tips on finding or working with interns, share them in the Comments section below.  

And to follow-through on the tips introduced in this short article, be sure to download your free copy of the special report on How to Start a Computer Consulting Business: 6 Proven Ways to Build Your Initial Client Base.

Creative Commons Image Source: flickr Mark Warner